Contact device.



J. J. H. W.- WEENEN. CONTACT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1912.

1,072,540 Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. I

MTNESSES CONTACT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1912.

Patented Sept.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Parana @FFEQE.

JOHANNES Jnconns Hnnnnmn's wruinnmus WEI-SHEER, or AMSTERDAM, NETHER-LANDS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD 'ro KAREL wrtcnnm- GERARD JOHAN STOFFELSAND ONE-THIRD-TOJAN'BERKELBAGH VAN DER SE'RENKEL, 30TH OF AMSTERDAM, I

NETHERLANDS. v

contactor, is employed with which the trol-' ley-wheel or other currentcollector engages just before the points are set. Like otherpoint-setting apparatus of this type part of.

the line 'contactor is in the form of a memher which can be moved by thewheel or other current collector, but according to the present inventionthe movement of this mem-.

ber tends to close'two contact arms in circuits which. include thesolenoids or electro If they were not prevented both these contact armsoperated, but the improved apparatus also comprises a solenold having acore i the point is set.

which, according to its position, prevents one or other of the arms fromcompleting its movement. The other arm, which is not obstructed by thecore, closes its circuit and Thusthe solenoid acts as a selector todetermine which of the circuits shall be closed. The contact arms arepref-- era'bly, each in two 1:ai'ts, 'normally kept in line by a spring,so that they tend to move as one arm; but an obstruction in the path oftheupper part of either arm, will cause .that'portion to be retained,while the movement'of the lower part is completed; The

. solenoid is. preferably arranged so as to'lie transversely to theplanes in which thecon tact arms move and, as will be-more articularlydescribedlateron when once t e solenoid has been set by the conductorrunning, on to the-line contactor,

the arm which is operative forms a stop for the core of the solenoid andprevents the driver ofthe ve-- hicle from altering the a'rrangementsifhe makes or breaks-the current while the ve hicle is passing theapparatus.

' rams-according toion'e construction of In the accompanyingdrawingaFigure 1 is a side elevation showing the whole apple t is -theapparatus for use with the ordinary overhead conductor '18 a solenoid 5-having a core J caused by a spring K to project outside one CONTACTLouvres.

invention in. its normal position before it is operated by the currentcollector. Fig. 2

is a similar view of the contact arms and .solenold drawn to a largerscale.

Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2 but with the parts in one ofthe positions they assume 6() when a current collector is a'ssing theapparatus. Fig. 4: is a. plan oi the apparatus in the position shown inFig. 3, and Fig. 5 is an elevation showing a modified form of instead ofa trolley-wheel.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings With referencefirst to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4,

cured to it by clamps side rods B. and a running rod C, these areinsulated from the conductor A by .washers as at D. Inclined guides Eare also provided attached to the overhead conductor and serving to leadthe trolley-wheel or other collector from the conductor'to the runningrod C or vice versa. links F" is a member F in the form of a.

strip of metal so disposed relatlvely-to the, running rod C that it willbe engaged and lifted or swunghy the flanges of the trolley:-

Wheel G' when it passes beneath it; On thespindle F 01? one pair of thelinks F are mounted two cont-act arms H 2-H. The 8e 'lo'wer'part H ofeach of these arms is fixed to the spindle, but the'upper portion H canturn about the spindle but is normally klept in line with the lower partbyla spring Thus when the member F is moved by the so trolley-wheel thelinks F', which are fixed to the spindleF turn and rotate the spindleand the arms H H turn also. Mounted transversely to the conductor A androds B the posit-ion shown iii Fig. 4. Thus-0 11s end or the other ofthe core is always pro ec t1n and the relative positions of the solenoidand the contact arms H H are such-that the 105 1 per portion H of thearm on the side at w nch the core projects is obstructed by the core andcannot follow the motion of the a bow collector 65 Suspended from theside rods B by normally which projects from the solenoid when it isenergized in A has .se 70 arms may contain electromagnets which oppother direction e. from left to right of the they may be those of anywell known pointv or signal-operating solenoids, or magnets, or likeelectromagnet apparatus of which there are many exan1pl-es., Forinstance, one contact arm may control the'ciicuit of a solenoid orelectromagnet acting, when energized, to move or set the rail-points fora straight course and the other contact arm may similarly controlanother -solenoid which sets the points for a curve. Or again, thecircuits controlled by the contact erate signals or .other apparatus.The winding of the solenoid J is connected at one end to the conductor Aand at the other end to the running rod C and thusif when a vehiclepasses under the apparatus the driver keeps his switch on, currentpasses from the conductor A, through the solenoid thence through therunning rod C and the trolley-wheel G, to the controller and .motors ofthe vehicle. Consequently the solenoid is energized and its core ispulled back against the action of the spring K, causing the end J toproject as shown in Fig. 4. The movement of the member F imparted to'itby the flanges of the trolley-wheel G causes the contact arms H Hto turntoward the contacts L. One of the arms is unobstructed and consequentlymoves forward until it touches the'fixed contact L, but the other armcan not complete its movement owingto the projection of the core whichis 1n the path of motion of the upper part H of the arm. This positionof the apparatus is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 where the contact arm H H onthe far side of the solenoid is shown as obstructed by the end J of thecore. Supposing thedriver cuts ofi the current to the vehicle when it ispassing the line contactor, then the solenoid is not energized,

its core will not be pulled. back and consequently the contact arm H Hon the near side of the solenoid as shown in Fig. 3 will be preventedfrom closing down on to its cont-act L and the contact arm on the farside of the solenoid will turn right down and complete its circuit. Onreference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that when one of the contact arms isturned down to make connection with its fixed contact L, the upperportion H of the arm lies in the pathof the end of the core J. g Theobject of this arrangement is to prevent any reversal of the initialposition of the solenoid by the driver altering the. electricalconnections to the vehicle and either making the circuit when he haspassed on to the line contactor with the circuit oil", or breaking thecircuit when the current was on in the first iiist-ance.

The construction shown in Figs. 1,2, 3 and 4, is adapted for use with acurrent collector inthe form of a trolley-wheel, but obviously theapparatus can be modified to render it available with a bow collector.Such a modification is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 where themember F is replaced by a Hat bar F hung, as in the other constructionon links and adapted to be displaced by the bow collector which is shownin section at G.

A slight rubbing action between the contacts on the arms H H and thefixed contacts L, may be secured bylsuitably adjusting the inclinationand position of the fixed contact.

If the vehicle passes the apparatus in the overhead conductor, yetobviously by modifying the mechanical details it can be used -with aconduitsystem-suitable arrangement being made whereby the shoe depres ormoves mechanism correspondin to the member F and thus operates twocontact arms, a solenoid or electromagnet deterlIllIllIlg WlllCh ofthose arms is effective in completing a circuit.

What I clalm as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s.1. In electrically operated pointor signal-controlling apparatus fortramways and the like the combination of a member adapted to be moved bythe trolley-wheel or other current collector, a plurality of contactarms operatively connected to such member, pointor signal-contiollingcircuits cont-rolled bysaid contact arms and electro-magnetic meansacting} to determine which of said contact arms shall complete itscircuit.

2. In electrically operated pointor signal-controlling apparatus fortramways and the like the combination of a member adapted to be moved bythe trolley-wheel or other current collector, a plurality of .contactarms operatively connected to such member, point or signal-controllingcircuits controlled by said contact arms and elec tip-magnetic meansacting to prevent one of said contact arms from completing its ciruiti3. In electrically operated pointor'signal controlling apparatus 'fortramways and the like the combination with pointor signal-controllingcircuits of two contact arms controlling said circuits, and a sole-'atone end or the other of the spring-controlled so that and the likethe combination of noid or electro-magnet having a core which projectsinto the path ofmotion of one or other of the contact arms for thepurpose set forth. i v

4. Inelectrically operated pointor sigrial-controlling apparatus fortramways -and the like the combination of a solenoid,- a core for suchsolenoid adapted to project solenoid according to whether the solenoidis energized or not and two contact arms movable across the pathof'motion of the coreand each comprising two parts. pivoted and theymove together if the path is not obstructed by the core but can moverelatively if the core 0bstructs the motion of one part.

'5. In electrically operated pointor Sig-- tion of said means-relativeto the contact arms- (5. In. electrically operated pointorsignal-controlling apparatus for tramways an overhead conductor a membersuspended by linksand adapted to be moved by the trolleywhcel or othercurrent collector, a plurality of contact arms operat-ively connected tothe member each contact arm comprising two parts normallyspring-controlled and moving together a solenoid and a spring-con coreprojecting into the one or other of said controlled core such path ofmotion of tact arms accordingto vwhether the solenoidis energized ornot.

7. In electrically operated polntor signal controlling'japparatus fortramways and the like the combination of an overhead conductor, a membersuspended by links and adapted to be moved by the trolley-wheel or othercurrent collect-or, a plurality of contact arms operatively connected tothe member each contact arm comprising two parts normally spring-controlled and moving together a solenoid-"and a wring-controlled core suchcore projectinc into the path of motion of one mother of said contactarms according to the solenoid is energized "or not the relativedisposition of the'core and the contact armsbeing such thatthe arm whichis unobstructed by theifcore acts, when in its closed position, as astop to prevent the movement of the core while the vehicle is passingthe apparatus.

8. In electrically operated pointor signalcontrolling apparatus fortramways and the like the combination with pointor signal mechanismcontrolling circuits of an overhead conductozg'side rods and a runningrod clamped thereto but insulated therefrom, a member suspended. bypivoted links from the side rods and the flanges-pf the trolley is ondherunning rod, contact arms operatively'j connected to the member-and,

controlling said circuits, a solenoid mounted on said side. rods and aspring-controlled core for such solenoid; said core being adapted toproject across the path f motion of one or other of the contact armsaccording to whether the solenoid is ener= gized or not.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses! JOHANllES JACOBUS HENDRIKUSWlhHELMUS WEENEN.

- ViTitIIQSSQS JAN BERKELBACH VAN DER SPRENKEL, Ansnn'ros VENEMA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. U.

whether i adapted to be moved by trolley-wheel when the

